Reversible cultivator-shovel



ATENT FFICE.

JOHN A. JOHNSON, OF MADISON, \YISOONSIN.

REVERSIBLE CULTlVATOR-SHOVEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,775, dated March 18, 1890.

Application filed May 8, 1889. Serial No. 309,974. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. JOHNSON, a citizen of theUnited' States, and a resident of Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Visconsimhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible Cultivator Shovels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective rear view of my improved reversible cultivator-shovel with its removable bearing and attachments. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the tubular shoe or bearing with the shovel or cultivator blade removed. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same, but looking at it from the front side, which faces the back part of the shovel. Fig. l is a rear elevation of the shovel-blade removed from its bearing. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View of the shovel and attachments; and Fig. 6 is afront view of the shovel as affixed upon its tubular shoe or hearing, the dotted lines indicating some of thevarious positions in which the shovel may be adjusted.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

Myinvention relates to reversible blades or shovels for cultivatorsthat is to say, blades or shovels of that class which maybe reversed upon the standard, so as to permit of the use of both ends of the blade or shovel at will; and it consists in the combin ation,with the reversible shovel, of a tubular shoe or bearing slotted at its upper and lower ends to adaptit to receive nutted bolts through said slots, whereby the position of the shovel upon its shoe orbearing may be adjusted at will to suit the varying conditions under which the implement is to be used, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the reversible blade or shovel, which is made of steel and provided at one end with a sharpened point B and at the other or opposite end with a curved and sharpened edge 0. Through the middle part of the body of the blade are punched two holes to bear with its inner end against the lower end of the standard, (not shown in the drawings,) which is inserted into the tubular shoe, so that by loosening the screw the shoe carrying the shovel may be removed or replaced at will.

Projecting downwardly from the tubular middle part or body of the shoe is a pointed tongue or extension H, having a recess h on its inner side, facing the shovel and provided in the solid part above said recess with a segmental slot I. At the opposite or upper end of the shoe is a solid rounded extension J, having a similar curved or segmental slot K, both of said slots I and K being curved in the arc of a common circle. The bolts D and E are inserted with their inner nutted ends through these slots, so that by loosening the nuts the shovel may be set or tilted upon its shoe or bearing into any one of the several positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6, and held firmly in its adjusted position simply by again tightening up the nuts.

I11 order to permit of lateral adjustment of the shovel without tilting it into an oblique position, the segmental bolt-slots I and K should be of sufficient size to make room for the bolts in effecting such lateral adjustment.

The front side of the tubular shoe F is out out, as shown at e, opposite to the threaded boss f, in such a manner as to form an 0blong aperture with sharp inner edges d, which operate to give the shoe a firm grip or bite against the front side of the standard after this has been inserted into the tube and fastened by turningthe set-screw G.

The object of the triangular recess him the bottom part or tongue H is to form a firm and even bearing against the adjacent back part of the shovel when this is drawn up against the shoe by means of the bottom bolt E.

It will be seen that by means of the construction and adaptation of parts above described I adapt my device to use in various soils and with different crops and obtain the greatest utility in a device of this class. When it is desired to out deeply and stir up hard ground, the pointed end can be used and the shoe F let down on the standard, and when one desires to stir only the top of the soil the wide end can be used. By turning the shoe on the standard the dirt can be thrown either from. or toward the plants at will, and by the various adjustments illustrated in Fig. 6 the shovel may be perfectly adapted to the varying conditions of the plants, being turned to cut closely when the plants are small and turned away when the roots and hills have spread. It is also found that by means of the triangular recess h a much firmer bearing is obtained against the shoe, and the oblong aperture 6, with its sharp inner edge,'serves to greatly lessen the liability of slipping on the standard, which has heretofore been a great objection to this kind of fastening.

Having thus described my invention, I 'claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States The combination of the reversible cultivator-shovel, thetubular shoe or bearing having a central transverse threaded boss, an oblong aperture with sharp inner edges opposite said boss, a recessed bottom extension and top extension, said top and bottom extension. being provided with segmental slots curved in arcs of a common circle, the nutted bolts whereby the shovel is fastened adjustably upon the shoe, and the set-screw or bindingscrew working in the threaded bossand proj ectingwithits inner end into the tubular shoe, substantially as and for the purposeherein shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. JOHN A. JOHNSON.

\Vitnesses:

A. E. PROUDFIT, J. H. NICHOLS. 

